No surprises in this year’s MMRDA budget

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority ( MMRDA) on Tuesday announced their annual budget, in which they have specified the various expenditures the planning authority would be incurring on the various infrastructure projects in the coming year. Though there are no surprise announcements, the budget allocation has been reduced to Rs 5570 crore for 2011 - 2012 from Rs 6143 crore in 2010 - 2011.

No major new projects would be undertaken this year and the authority is concentrating on prioritising the completion of existing projects.

The major focus of the new budget is, making the city and the MMR more mobile by investing in the transportation facility. Approximately Rs 2000 crore, i. e. nearly 35 per cent of the total budget, would be spent on improving the transportation facilities, while the major focus areas being the Metro and Monorail corridors.

Followed by transport, developments of roads and flyovers is in the agenda of MMRDA's new budget. Rs 6000 crore are allocated for infrastructure projects within Mumbai and Rs 700 crore for the rest of the MMR. Projects within Mumbai comprise the Sahar Elevated Road, Eastern Freeway, Milan Rail- over Bridge, Anik Panjarpol Link Road and Ghatkopar Panjarpol Link Road.

The Nirmal Abhiyan of MMRDA that was completed in 2010 would again be executed this year. Around 20,000 toilet seats would be constructed mainly outside the city. Other projects such as Innovation Park, Mithi river desalination and wall retaining, development of regional landfill sites, tree plantations and rainwater harvesting have also been allocated sufficient amounts.

However, no announcement has been made on the funds for Nariman Point Redevelopment or Mumbai Trans Harbor Link ( MTHL), as the implementation agency for both these projects has not been decided yet.

The meeting was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister and chairman of MMRDA Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad who is also holding the additional charge of MMRDA, Mayor Shraddha Jhadav, Municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar, Principal Secretary of Urban development department T C Benjamin and municipal councilors on MMRDA board.